Pam and Susie's Visit–Wheel, Pier and Castle

The first order of the day was to ride the Brighton Wheel, a ferris wheel with enclosed glass pods.

We're going up there???

"It provides breath-taking panoramic views of the coastline, surrounding architecture and landmarks."

It lasted about 15 minutes which was just right

              Beautiful!

There's no place like the pier on a sunny summer day

Of course they had to pose with royalty

Anna and Kalani chose this for their one ride at the pier

YES!

My how they shrieked. They LOVED this ride.

Fish pedicure!

My girls and I thought it might be fun but the kids thought it was gross.

Lewes Castle

After another fun bus ride we were in Lewes to visit the castle.

Pam sighed with delight when she first saw it

Like mother like daughter

This is where the battle of Lewes was fought in the 1200s

The girls' favorite part was where they could dress up

Our princess

Nora looks like an executioner

Our handsome prince

The beatings will continue until morale improves

Pam and Susie Visit--Laundry, The Rookery and Birthdays

After a few days on the road it was time for them to do some laundry. Bill kept an eye on the wash as well as Colin sleeping in his stroller. 

 Meanwhile the rest of us walked down the road to The Rookery, the largest municipal rock garden in Britain. Walking on the rocks across the pond was great fun but we sure held our breath as Nora stepped across.

It is built on a steep slope that runs up to the railway line.

                 My favorite picture!

Kalani took advantage of the abundant chalk to write her name

There are some gigantic plants by the pond

We took the opportunity to celebrate some birthdays that are coming up soon.

Kalani turns 11

 Anna turns 8 in August but she didn't mind opening her gift early

Pam with her zany London shirt

A Visit from Pam and Susie and Children, Day 1

Happy Day! After months of careful planning the time arrived for a visit from family.

They rented an unusual cottage attached to a house and had 4 bedrooms and an enclosed yard for the kids to play in. A bathroom in every bedroom was a plus.

Remember to click to enlarge the photos

A living room with lots of throw pillows, and sometimes a grandpa.

A tiny kitchen

Kalani ready to venture out

Heading to the bus stop beside the gas line replacement work

Kalani, Anna and Nora love riding the bus, as long as they can be on the upper deck.

SeaLife Aquarium

They are proud of their Victorian architecture 

This stingray kept sticking an edge out of the water

Do you really want to touch an anemone?

Bill held a sleeping Colin during dinner.

Twister with a Twist

Last night's Family Home Evening activity was a kick! A variation on the old Twister game, only played with plates of food instead of the plastic mat with colored circles.

Red is baked beans, blue is colored rice pudding, yellow is custard sauce, and green is mushy peas.

Samantha is out

Getting messy now

We had to stand back when it deteriorated into a bit of a food fight!